The United States Postal Service provides guidelines about positioning mailboxes certain distances from the ground and certain distances away from the edge of the roadway so as to make it easier for the mail carrier to access the mailbox. These regulations have led to many inventions which disclose means for adjusting the position of a mailbox. Some of these inventions are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,403,730 (disclosing a means for adjusting the height of a mailbox), U.S. Pat. No. 6,161,756 (disclosing a means for adjusting the distance the mailbox is from the roadway), and U.S. Pat. No. 5,307,598 (disclosing a means for adjusting the angle at which the mailbox post engages the ground). One problem with the inventions disclosed in the above referenced patents is that they do not provide a sturdy platform for anchoring the mailbox into the ground when there is a hill or ditch near the roadway. In other words, the above referenced patents allow adjustment of the mailbox, but they do not take into account the unevenness of the ground on which the mailbox is situated, which is often the reason adjustments need to be made in the first place.
Another problem with conventional mailboxes is that they are not very sturdy. Often conventional mailboxes are not sturdy because the user must dig a hole in the ground to receive the mailbox post. This is time consuming and difficult for the user. Another problem with digging a hole is that the soil used to refill the hole and support the mailbox post can be loose and shift after the mailbox post is inserted into it, thereby causing the mailbox to lean or fall over.
The instability of conventional mailboxes is further demonstrated in rural areas that receive snowfall. In these areas, mailboxes are often pushed over by snowplows in the winter. Conventional mailbox posts often break when hit with a snowplow which requires the user to purchase and install a new mailbox during the cold temperatures of winter.
There is therefore a need for a mailbox with a ground engaging portion that is suitable for use on flat surfaces as well as hills. There is further a need for a mailbox that is easy to install, yet remains sturdy after it is installed. There is further a need for a mailbox having numerous adjustment means for adjusting the mailbox assembly after it has been inserted into the ground. There is further a need for a mailbox assembly that does not need to be completely replaced in the event the assembly is hit by a car or snowplow.